Car Moon

General Motors has just put a price tag on the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The plug-in compact hatch that's capable of driving 40 miles on a fully charged battery before a gasoline engine kicks in to produce electricity, will be priced at $41,000 (about €31,700 at today's exchange rates) including a destination fee of $720, before any federal tax incentives.

That's $8,220 more than the Volt's closest rival, the all-electric Nissan Leaf which starts at $32,780 before tax breaks. However, buyers of the Leaf, which is powered only by batteries and doesn't come with a gasoline engine /generator like the Volt, will have to throw in another $2,200 (minus any tax credits) for personal charging docks.